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The future of mail is with drones
Soon enough, mail may be delivered through the skies. Amazon Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos has long had a grand vision: He wants his e-commerce giant to utilize drones to deliver orders in less than 30 minutes, as long as the parcels weigh fewer than 5 pounds. It's a bold vision, considering the technology involved.
Drones have become a common term. Most associate them with military hardware, but hobbyists have helped popularize inexpensive models. Businesses other than Amazon are experimenting with unique ways to use drones. However, it is an unregulated industry. The Federal Aviation Administration has been slow to implement any meaningful rules to regulate drones, and when they have, the rules were already outdated. The slowness of the FAA has infuriated Bezos, who has since moved testing of his drone delivery service to Canada.
Yet Amazon is not alone when it comes to experimentation when looking at mail delivery. France's mail service, La Poste, began drone delivery testing in late 2014 with its express delivery service, GeoPost. The Asian e-commerce equivalent of Amazon, Alibaba, has also carried out successful drone delivery tests.
Verification importance
All signs point to drones playing a huge role in the future of mail delivery. This means companies that provide address verification software must be prepared for the unique challenges and opportunities that will help shape mail delivery services. Companies that provide this software will not only have to keep tabs of their software products, but also ensure it works in cohesion with the many components of a drone. The software itself may not drastically change, but it does take on an even greater importance. It is doubtful homeowners would appreciate the sight of drones landing on their front yard with a parcel they did not order.
Web verification software will be essential because it helps ensure proper delivery. According to the U.S. Postal Service's fact sheet, during the 2014 fiscal year, 34.4 million address changes were processed. This software is key to ensuring proper delivery and satisfied customers. Yet there are sure to be some tweaks to it if drones become popular mail delivery options. After all, delivering packages from the air is not the same as delivering from the ground.
Bulk mail benefits as well
Marketers can better get their message out to potential customers if drone mail delivery services become common. For example, a direct marketing agency utilizing bulk mail software may see that a user has been doing research on a product he or she would like to purchase. The agency can then send a drone out and deliver a package with a USB webkey, or direct mail, to provide more information about the product to that customer.
If the U.S. Postal Service starts utilizing drone delivery, software will play an even larger role for companies looking to ensure their mail is delivered in a timely matter. Days of tracking important mail delivery will turn to hours. This software also enables the generation of QR codes. Should the recipient of direct mail scan this code, software can ensure specialized print mail will be delivered to that address.
Eventually, Bezos wants to revolutionize a long-standing industry. He envisions fleets of drones delivering mail. The competition he is building will be beneficial for mail delivery services, including those utilizing direct marketing and bulk mailing software.
